It is easy to lose sight of the fact that all science is based on experiment, either to test the predictions of theories or to present data the theories cannot explain in order to spur better theories. Over a period of centuries, millions of researchers have taken painstaking measurements, analyzed the data, and fit the data in theoretical models to give it clarity, meaning, and predictive power. We have no knowledge a priori that there should only be three forces (the search is still on for evidence of additional forces and work is in progress to unify the existing forces). There is no way of knowing that the conservation laws should hold everywhere on this planet or across the universe. This knowledge is obtained by careful observation and a self-consistent understanding of these observations.

If you find science difficult, you are not alone. The concepts themselves are often not easy to grasp. Research has shown that we each must construct our own models of understanding. Simply listening to lectures and rote memorization are not good ways to learn. We must be able to assimilate the concepts and apply them to predict further phenomena. Research has also shown that learning improves when a student thinks about a concept or problem by him/herself first and then discusses it with a small group of peers. That is the philosophy we will follow in this workshop. The abilities to work within a group of peers and to communicate ideas, both orally and in writing, are important skills to have. These are fundamental goals of this workshop.

We expect that many of you will not have extensive experience in doing experimental science. We expect to help you learn how to approach measurement and experiment with more confidence. Often the difficulty is to determine just what needs to be measured. Figuring out a way to isolate a particular phenomenon to measure or to test complicates things, because usually changing one parameter may affect several others. Identifying and then minimizing or eliminating systematic and random errors requires great care and stamina. Yes, science can even be tedious. However, the reward is great: You come away with a rich understanding of the phenomena you are studying and therefore a better understanding of the world around you. You develop important skills as you practice the scientific method. You build your confidence in your ability to test and understand the "rules" of nature. Your understanding, the skills you develop, and the confidence you build allow you to identify and tackle problems you have not seen before or for which you have not been specifically trained.

The purpose of this workshop is

1. to teach you some important physical phenomena and concepts,
2. to teach you to think for yourself and to work in groups of peers,
3. to teach you better oral and written communication skills,
4. to introduce you to proper laboratory procedures and teach you some basic laboratory techniques, and
5. to give you confidence in your ability to take measurements and adequately analyze and interpret data.

Physics 142W is part of Physics 142E, but it is a separate one hour credit course. You must be registered in both a 142E lecture and a 142W workshop. Each workshop section will have up to 24 students (and no more).

Every student must purchase the manual for Physics 142W at the Newcomb Hall bookstore.

Registration in Physics 142W will be blocked on the semester’s first day of classes, January 16, 2002.

The workshops start on Monday during the semester’s first full week of classes (January 21, 2002). In that first week, you must attend the section of your choice on time. If you are registered for that section, your place in that section is secure. If you do not attend or are late to your registered section, your name will be dropped from that section’s enrollment. Those who wish to add to that section will then be added if space is available. Since only 24 students may be in a section, if more students want to add than is space available, names will be drawn at random and added to the enrollment until the 24 spaces are filled. The remaining students must find other sections to attend. Let us re-emphasize this point: If you are registered for a section and wish to secure your place in that section, you must attend that section on time during the first full week of classes. Note, however, that there are normally two sections being held simultaneously so that each time slot has space available for 48 students in the two sections. In the extraordinary event that you cannot attend any sections during that first full week of classes, say due to illness or a death in the family, please contact Larry Suddarth (room 214 – physics building, 243-6843, lts7x@Virginia.edu).

It is your responsibility to be registered for a workshop. If you are unable to find a workshop open that meets your schedule, you may try to find someone to switch with you. The best way to do this is to go to a suitable section the first week to see if space becomes available or to see if someone will switch with you.

Your work in Physics 142W will consist of three parts:

1. a pre-workshop activity that you must complete before coming to the workshop. This will be done on WebAssign.
2. performing the workshop itself and filling out the pages from the manual. You must answer all questions and make all predictions. You may discuss the answers with your group and you may work on the answers prior to coming to workshop in order to speed up your effort. Normally you are asked to make sketches of results or print out results. We expect most of you will decide to print out results.Do not print out more than one copy of your results. You will turn in your results as a group together with your individual written answers from your workshop. The manual pages are made to tear out carefully. You will not be writing a lab report for this workshop.
   
   
3. sometimes we may have you perform a post-workshop activity that you must do yourself. This will most likely be done on WebAssign.

Each workshop is two hours (technically one hour and 50 minutes) long. You are expected to have vacated the room within one hour and 55 minutes to allow the next section to begin on time. The workshops meet during each full week of classes and are overseen by a graduate instructor (teaching assistant commonly called a TA, for short). The graduate instructor’s responsibilities are to ensure the safety of the students; protect the equipment; provide good teaching pedagogy to help you learn as much as possible, provide additional instructions and information concerning the workshop, grade your pre-lab activities, journals, and in-lab quizzes and, together with the faculty member, assign your PHYS 142W grade.

The first part of the first meeting of the semester will be organizational and preparatory. You will be added or dropped from the section (as discussed above), meet your faculty member and graduate instructor, exchange information with your instructors, be informed of any changes to class policies, etc. In addition, you will perform the first workshop activity, Lab 1. We try to make sure that you have had the material we are covering in lecture before doing the workshop.

For each workshop, you must do the pre-workshop activity which can be found on the Physics 142W web page (http://www.phys.virginia.edu/classes/142w.stt.spring02/). It is important for you to look at this page often, because any changes to this manual will be given there. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO LOOK AT THE WEBSITE OFTEN ENOUGH TO BE AWARE OF THE WEEK'S ASSIGNMENT, PRE-LAB ACTIVITY, POST-LAB ACTIVITY, AND CHANGES IN THE WEEKLY WORKSHOP. We are not having you submit a lab report as has been done in the past, but in exchange, we are requiring you to spend time preparing for the workshop each week. We expect that since you are better prepared, the workshop will be a better learning experience. It will be helpful for you to have a calculator in the workshop.

In order to complete the pre-lab activity each week, you should do the following:

1. Read over the workshop material in this manual (including the relevant appendix and outside reading assignments, where appropriate) for the week’s activity completely to get an overview.
2. Connect to the Physics 142W web page (http://www.phys.virginia.edu/classes/142w.stt.spring02/) to learn about any changes, suggestions, or additional material given for this week's activity.
3. Read the instructions again, but this time more carefully; highlight the important features of the workshop. Try to work through any derivations you do not understand. In other words, be an active reader and study the manual.
   
   

Complete the pre-workshop activity as directed on the web page.

5. Bring a calculator to the workshop. If you do not own one, perhaps you can share with someone.

Before attending your workshop section during the first full week of classes, look over the workshop manual and become familiar with the appendices to which you should refer as needed throughout the semester. Particularly important are Appendix B: Graphical Analysis, Appendix D: The Accuracy of Measurements and Significant Figures, and Appendix E: Vectors. Refer to Appendix D and apply it appropriately in your lab journals throughout the semester.

Since the workshop periods are two hours long, you will need to be efficient in the use of your time. Normally you will work in groups of three. You will be assigned to a different group each week. We encourage a free exchange of ideas between group members (and also generally in the laboratory), and we expect you to share both in taking data and in using the computer. You and your group members will not necessarily receive a common grade for the workshop journal because some of it will be individual work and some of it will be done jointly.

Each week's activity will be graded as follows:

• The pre-lab activity is worth 20%.

• The workshop effort is worth 60% based on the performance in the laboratory as evidenced by the manual pages you turn in (see the discussion above).
  
  
• The post-lab activity is worth 20%.
  

Your final workshop grade will be determined by taking the average of all your workshop grades. No workshops will be dropped. Grades will be assigned on a curve based on your graduate instructor’s students only. Each graduate instructor typically teaches three sections.

Absences and tardiness will be accepted only for legitimate excuses, i.e. illness, a death in your family, a university sponsored trip, etc. If possible, contact your graduate instructor before the time of the lab (e.g. send an email). Without a bona fide reason, all absentees receive a grade of zero for that workshop. If you miss a laboratory session because of a legitimate excuse, your lab instructor may allow you to make up the workshop on Thursday at 4 pm. In order to be excused, you must submit a written excuse petition signed by you. This should be done no later than the next scheduled lab period. For approved absences, it may be possible to make up a missing workshop, but it must be done no later than the Thursday of the following week. See your graduate instructor or faculty member for further information.

Late arrival for any lab session is very disruptive and will be penalized. After a 10-minute grace period, the lab instructor will deduct two points from your grade during the first 15 minutes of tardiness and an additional two points for each successive 15 minute period (or part thereof).